Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1887-02-11
A CONSCIENCE STILL,

A CONSCIENCE STILL. |!
$50 George Burton's had a bit of,
good luck" said Martin Hale, as he
hung his hat and coat behind the door,
and drew up TO the fire. 1--WE heard
of 1t up at the foundry. Fifty pounds
from that old aunt of his who died last Il
week. swell it'll help him TO pay of
his scores, and get fair start" /
'Scores, indeedl" said Mrs. Hale,
who. with her daughter, Maggie, was
busy about the supper. "Why, the
first thing Mrs. Burton did was TO go !,
and buy baby carriage. Probably |
she'll want one for herself next" she i
added, with laugh. think Of her
setting up with baby carriage!'
"Thc baby's sickly. mother" said
Maggie, "and too big for little Nellie
TO carry In her arms. I've often heard
Mrs. Burton wishing for carriage, in
which the baby could be drawn about
comfortably, and save Nellie's
strength"
They're as delighted as If the fifty
pounds were a thousand" continued
her mother. ut isn't much to be
proud of--fiity pounds"
well, only wish l had half as
much" said Martin, with sigh.
"We're owing two months rent now,
| and what made down at the furnaces
won't go far, to say nothing OF the
chandler's score. think George Is in
good luck"
They had always been good neigh
bors, the Burtons ard Hales. The
men worked at the iron mills In the
town, and were known as steady, honest
fellows; but It often happened that
work was slack, or even at stand
still, and those who were turned of
had to be idle or look for a job at the
furnace some thirty miles up the rail-
road.
| Both Hale and Burton had Just re.
turned from one of these expeditions
the latter TO claim the "good luck''
that had befallen him, and the former
to repine that no such luck ever came
to himself.
About q week after this, Martin
Hale, on his way home from work
overlook George Burton, who hat
paused outside the window of one o.
those variety Shops where anything
is sold, from box OF matches to {
suit Of clothes, or a set of cheap
jewelry. Burton was gazing at a
girls jacket of dark cloth, neatly
! trimmed.
thinking of buying your wife 1
diamond ring, Georgey" said Martin
stopping beside him.
Il mot yet awhile" he replied good.
Aumoredly. II was looking at tina
} little affair"-nodding toward tn
jacket-'and thinking l would like
buy 1t tor Kitty, If it isn't too dear.
. know she needs something warm 70
winter, and to mcrrow's her birth
day."
suppose you go in and ask til
price?" said Martin.
The two stepped into the shop. TIL
, women who helped TO keep 1t wer
|. eloquent in setting forth the variou
J. merits of the garment. and its wonder
full cheapness. When Burton hes
tated at sixteen shlllings, she brougl
down the price to twelve, and b
: pulled out a leather purse and pal
!, the money.
"Youre spending your forum
!. pretty freely, George" remarke
10 Hale, as his companion closed h
I purse.
:. "Well, yes, in this instance; bl
: you see Kitty's seventeen Tomorrow
7 and girls like to be nicely dresse,
' Beside. I've cleared off my lit
debts, and this ten pounds that's lie
v goes into the bank tomorrow.
I. The woman, anxious TO get as niue
ID as possible out of her customer, pr
duced some wooden socks, and Blu
: ton, in examining them, laid his pur.
d on the counter. where 1t was speedi
= covered by the goods. Concludin
Il not to purchase the socks, he took |
5 the bundle containing the jacket, al
:" with never thought OF his none
left the shop.
= Martin Hale took the purse fro
under the goods, unseen by the W
= man, who had turned to replace Il
L things on the shelf.
II will give him little scare"
Y thought. 1.-THE lesson won't hu
l. him."
When Burton reached his ow
= door, and paused to wish his compa
ion goodnight, the latter raised b
= hand to his breast-pocket. But su
" denly dark thought whispered
o 'os him. Burton had not missed Il
n. money; Burten would never suspe
him. And, while he hesitated, b
% companion had gone into the hou
". and closed the door.
ar "I'll give 1t to him to-morrow-ye
Il. certainly to morrow" said Martin
! himself. land explain that 1t was
=. Joke. He will see that none OF t
or money is missing"
BY But next morning, when alone,
T. opened the purse, just to see that I
: money was there all safe. He count
4. it out-exactly ten pounds. Wi
n, IA that amount he could clear off
es- score, and pay his months rent; and
: SO happened that just at this til
LE Martin Hale was more in need
To- money than ever he had been in
~ life. He had made but little the pi
= summer, and winter was coming wi
y, its manifold needs.
ar. That day the worknen were all ta
/ ing about George Burton's loss.
Al. must have placed his purse, contai
or ing the money, in his coat pocket,
he | ooid. tor upon raarhinp homo he n